Killing Loneliness
by Hope in the Shadows
Summary: Au Loneliness is not limited to one type. Love is not limited to anything. Love can cure loneliness and love can save a person from falling into despair. All it takes is a question. "Why?" ItaNaru
1. Prologue: Alone

Title: Killing Loneliness

**Title:** Killing Loneliness

**Pairings:** ItaNaru Sasu?

**Warnings:** Let's see…we have yaoi and vampires and blood play oh my! Plus some probable OOCness…it just happens okay…oh and some swearing, yep definitely swearing. And cutting though it is very minimal.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto nor do I claim to own them. So please draw some more yaoi fanservice Kishimoto. That one SasuSai panel was not enough.

**A/N:**

Ruki: So this one came out of absolutely nowhere, but it gave me no choice but to write it so I could make room in my head to enable me to work on both Loyalties and Possession.

Shadows: Yeah the idea just appeared while I was doing yard work…in the desert…around noon…in August… How did I get an idea for a vampire fic while doing that?

Twi: Let's just say that you have a very active imagination…

Shadows: Yeah…that's it…

Ruki: Well anyways I present to you my new experiment in character development and vampire romp Killing Loneliness. Hope you enjoy.

Prologue

**Alone**

_Your days you say they're way too long,_

_And your nights you can't sleep at all_

_And you're not sure what you're looking for_

_But you don't want to no more_

_Hold on, by Good Charlotte_

There was but one truth in my world.

I was alone.

I was not alone, however, in the sense that there was no one around me. In fact, humans and vampires alike seemed to cluster about me. But all these people wanted were the superficial things I had – my power and rank as a vampire lord, the wealth I had accumulated, and of course the chance to occupy my bed. No, I was alone because there was no one beside me that I wanted to be there. No one who took the time to know who I really was. No one to give my heart to.

I clenched my coat tighter to my body in the cold December chill. It served no purpose though, since I was no longer affected by the elements. Even the sun did not affect me anymore. I walked the streets of the city that I had claimed as my territory, looking for a meal. It had been a weak since I fed last and my desire for blood was almost uncontrollable. Too bad I was also a picky eater.

As I turned a corner into a primarily residential section of the city, an overwhelming scent assaulted me. It called out to me and I followed it obediently like a dog to its master's call. It led me to a decrepit old house tucked away from the rest of the neighborhood. And outside that house stood a blonde, hands fumbling in the cold chill while trying to get the door to the house unlocked. To say this blonde male was beautiful would be an understatement of the worst kind. Messy blonde spikes that would be perfect to run fingers through, sun-kissed skin though there hadn't been sun for weeks, a fit lean build evident through the baggy clothing he wore, whisker-like scars adorning his cheeks, and, most striking of all, crystal-blue eyes as clear as the sky and as fathomless as the ocean. He was, at the same time, a sex god and the epitome of innocence. And my body craved for his blood.

I watched as the blonde succeeded in entering his home but not before he stopped to look around nervously. That caught my attention because I was too far away from him to have sensed me even if he happened to be one of those ultra sensitive humans. I did not have to fear curiosity killing me like the cat in the old saying for I was already dead, and so I let it get the better of me. I walked over to the house and looked through one of the damaged windows that were now lit up from the artificial light inside.

I found myself looking through the fractured glass at what was most likely the blonde's bedroom. Inside was a bed with a cracked wooden headboard and a sagging mattress, a small dresser with missing drawers, a battered desk with its equally battered chair, and of course the blond beauty. He had already taken off his large coat and was now taking off the baggy long-sleeved shirt he wore, revealing an expanse of golden skin that covered fit, lean muscle. Then I noticed a dark purple mar stretched over his left side. A bruise that was no more than a few days old and spoken of hidden heavy damage.

As the blonde threw his shirt on the ground I noticed bandages wrapped around his arms. He walked over to the bathroom connected to his bedroom unwrapping the bandages as he went. I could see him in the bathroom from the window, as he had not closed the door for there was no door hanging on the empty hinges to close. I watched as he reached into the medicine cabinet taking out a small, thin piece of metal. I saw him drag the metal over his arm and then I smelt that oh-so-familiar scent.

Blood.

He was cutting himself.

It took me only an instant to enter the blonde's house and another to find myself at his side, my hands stopping his wrists from moving. Those crystal blue eyes looked at me in shock and fear, his body shuddering. I took the razor out of his grasp and put my attention on his self-inflicted wounds. I brought the injured arm close to my face, my fangs lengthening in reaction to the blood dripping from it.

"Now why would you waste something so precious as your blood?" I looked into his eyes briefly before latching on to his wound with my mouth.

I had never tasted blood so exquisite. Its richness overwhelmed my senses. It was so warm as it slid down my throat that I felt my icy body heat up. I drank until I felt him lean on me, no longer able to stay conscious. I ran my tongue over the wound, sealing it while stealing the last few drops of blood I could.

I moved my face to look at the blond slumped against me. Now that I was closer I noticed how tired and sad his face looked, as if it had only seen the evils of the world and none of the good. It intrigued me but so did the content smile on his lips. Why was he so content after I had drank his blood when he had looked at me with those eyes full of shock and fear? Most humans would have a grimace or a mouth half-opened in a silent scream because they were being 'attacked' by a 'monster' such as I.

I slipped an arm under his knees while the other supported his back, and carried him to his poor excuse for a bed. I laid him down gently and looked for something to cover him. All I found was a thin, holey blanket. Sneering at the rag, I shrugged off my coat knowing it would serve better purpose as a blanket for the blonde than trying to keep me, of all things, warm. I draped the oversized, thick coat over his thin frame. As I turned to leave I felt a tug on my shirt. The blonde had unconsciously grabbed my shirt in his sleep and I saw his brows furrow in a strange way. I started to unclasp his hand from my shirt when I heard him speak.

"Don't…leave me…alone…"

I hesitated at those words before I finished unclasping his hands. I rushed out of the blonde's house toward my own home. I needed to get away from the blonde. After all, he was just a meal…wasn't he?

K.I.L.L.I.N.G.L.O.N.E.L.I.N.E.S.S.P.R.O.L.O.G.U.E.-E.N.D.-

A/N:

Shadows: So this chapter is kinda short but that's because it's a prologue. The following chapters will be longer I promise.

Twi: We're sorry if we offended anyone with the cutting but it is sorta necessary to the plot. By the way for the readers of my other stories would you rather have a new chapter of Loyalties first or Possession? Leave your answer in your review.

Ruki: Please keep in mind that all my fics aren't going to be updated fast due to school starting again and I'm kinda in a slump right now. Also if you look on my profile you should see that the next chapter of Possession is more written than the next chapter of Loyalties. However chapter 5 of Possession is turning into an epic length and I may end up splitting it into two to bring you the next chapter faster.

Shadows: Well that's all for now people! Read and review!!


	2. Chapter i: Words Hold Power

Title: Killing Loneliness

**Title:** Killing Loneliness

**Pairings:** ItaNaru Sasu?

**Warnings:** Let's see…we have yaoi and vampires and blood play oh my! Plus some probable OOCness…it just happens okay…oh and some swearing, yep definitely swearing. And cutting though it is very minimal.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto nor do I claim to own them. So please draw some more yaoi fanservice Kishimoto. That one SasuSai panel was not enough.

**A/N:**

Ruki: Shadows and Twi are out of it right now due to a recent cold, so it's just me talking to you this time. I like this chapter greatly but one scene in here seems a little too familiar to Possession. I need to stop sending Naruto into alleys. Anyways I love the title to this chapter. It is a sentiment that I think every fanfiction author should understand. I would like all the readers to think over the title or at least keep it in mind while they read the chapter.

IMPORTANT READ FIRST: Okay normally I translate the Japanese I use at the end of the chapter but this particular word needs to be translated and explained at the beginning of the chapter. It is essential to the understanding of the story and it is a word that will be used a lot in this story.

Katahou: companion (one of a pair). I am using this word because of its personal connotations for me. For me it bears the connotations of a single thing belonging with one other single thing, like two pieces meant to be together and never apart. I believe that this word fits the meaning I'm trying to convey.

Shadows: Start the damn story already Ruki…I wanna go to bed…

Ruki: Ok…here's chapter i of Killing Loneliness…

Chapter I

**Words Hold Power**

_If I/turn my back I'm defenseless_

_And to go on blindly seems senseless_

_If I hide my pride and let it all go on/then they'll_

_Take from me till everything is gone_

_Forgotten, by Linkin Park_

I woke up to the blaring noise of my alarm clock. My hand automatically stretched out to turn off the annoying device. Out of habit I clenched my raggedy old blanket closer to my body trying to find some warmth.

Except, I wasn't cold.

And what was covering me wasn't my blanket.

I shot up instantly, the coat that had been covering me pooling at my waist. My mind was still groggy as I tried to remember what happened last night. I looked at the strange coat hoping it would bring answers, but it didn't. My mind replayed the events of last night since I had gotten home like a poorly made home video. I had gotten home. I had dropped my bag on the couch like normal, taken off my coat and shirt like normal, went into my bathroom to do my nightly routine like normal, got interrupted by a strange, sexy man drinking my blood from my nightly cut like nor- wait what?!

Okay that last thing was definitely not normal. I tried to remember what happened after that but couldn't. I checked myself over to see what, if anything had happened to me. My pants were still on and my ass didn't hurt so I hadn't been raped. No new bruises and the one I had come home with was already a sickly yellow. It was when I looked at my arm that I was shocked; not from what I saw but from what I didn't see. The cut from last night wasn't there among the pale white scars that covered my arm.

'Yo Kyu, did you heal last night's cut?'

'Now why would I do that? I only healed your bruise. The cut was courtesy of the vampire from last night.'

'Vampire? I thought they didn't exist.'

'Kit if a demon like me can exist then I'm pretty sure vampires can exist. Now stop dawdling and get ready or you're going to be late.'

"Shit." I scrambled around my room wrapping my arms back up to hide the scars that Kyuubi wouldn't heal and grabbed the first long-sleeved shirt I could find. I threw the stranger's coat on not wasting time finding my own amongst the clutter on the floor, grabbed my bag off the couch in the living room, and took an apple off of the counter in the kitchen. I rushed out the door, locking it quickly behind me, and dashed down the street.

I ran through the city toward the university library where I worked as a junior librarian. It wasn't the highest-paying job out there but it was the best job I could get. At least there I had some respect and the working conditions were good, plus it paid enough for me to survive. I dashed through the doors of the library and up the steps to the director's office. I dashed in not bothering to knock.

"I'm here," I panted, out of breath from running.

"Gaki, you're late," stated the blonde-haired woman who sat on a black leather couch set against the wall to my left. Her hazel eyes looked over me probably taking in my disheveled appearance. There was a small, recognizable flask of sake in her hand that she chose at that moment to take a sip from. My eye twitched.

"Well at least I'm not drinking at eight in the morning while on the job Tsunade-obaa-chan!" I shouted accusingly with an added finger point. I saw her own eye twitch in response.

"Why you – "

"The kid's right," interrupted the white-haired old man behind the desk. "The university doctor shouldn't be drinking on the job and he is only a minute late." Jiraiya gave that large grin of his.

"Hmph," was all Tsunade said in reply though she did reluctantly relinquish her sake. "Nice coat, though it seems a bit too big on you."

"Yeah," I had forgotten I was wearing the vampire's coat. I had no way to explain my acquisition of it so I decided to joke about it to lessen their suspicion. I quickly slapped on a cheesy smile. "Heh, maybe I'll grow into it."

"I'd like to see that!" Jiraiya said before laughing loudly. Even Tsunade joined in a little.

"Well I'd better go back to work," Tsunade sighed before standing up. "Probably got a couple of snot-nosed kids waiting for me to excuse them from class because they got a hangover." She was about to pass by me when she suddenly stopped. "Naruto, you look a little pale. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," I quickly lied. Like hell they would believe that a vampire had sucked my blood. "It's probably 'cause I haven't seen the sun in weeks."

"Yeah you're probably right." She smiled at me before leaving the office.

"So ero-sennin, what's my job for today?" I knew Jiraiya hated it when I called him that but he was a pervert and he did have some hermit-like qualities.

"Well gaki, the archival room hasn't been sorted out in a few years," he said with an evil smirk. "Why don't you go show them some care and put them back in order?"

Outwardly I groaned but inwardly I was excited. The archival room was where the oldest books were stored. Many dated back hundreds of years. It would be a long job that would probably last about a week, but it would be worth it to look through those old tomes. I left Jiraiya's office after getting the key to the room from him and headed to the back of the library.

As soon as I got to the room I set my bag on a nearby chair and slipped off the coat. As I draped it over the back of the chair, I noticed a small symbol on the back just below the collar. It was a red and white mark that resembled an uchiwa (1). It looked like a clan symbol. Maybe I would find something about it while I was in the archival room.

I set to work, sorting out books and putting them back into their proper places. It was sometimes hard to do, since some books didn't have a title on the outside and some didn't even have a title on the inside and had to be sorted by their contents. Near the end of my shift I found another old tome without a title on the cover. Opening it to its title page my eyes grew wide at one of the illustrations. It was the same symbol as on the coat. But that wasn't all, for also on the page were three faded kanji that read kyuuketsuki – vampire.

I flipped through the pages of the book trying to find out more about the strange symbol. I nearly dropped the book when I flipped it to a random page. There staring back at me from the yellowed paper of the book with piercing crimson eyes was the man from last night. His name according to the kana underneath the portrait was Uchiha Itachi.

"Naruto!" Jiraiya's voice snapped me out of my trance. "We're closing up early! A blizzard's on the way!"

"Okay! I'll be out in a sec!" I closed the book and snuck it into my bag. I needed to look at this book more closely. As I slipped on the coat I finally noticed the overwhelming scent of lilies and water. You would think a vampire's coat would smell like blood. I grabbed my bag and headed for the front of the library, handing Jiraiya the key on my way out.

I clutched the coat closer to my body as I stepped outside to face winter's chill. I looked at the sky where the telltale clouds were gathering into a storm front. Wanting to get home quickly I decided to take a shortcut through the mostly deserted back streets and alleyways of the city. That probably wasn't the best choice I could've made.

I turned into an alleyway behind one of the city's more filthier bars. I stopped in my tracks as I saw a group about three men lounging around the back door playing with the knives they used to mug the unsuspecting and helpless dunks that stumbled outside. I watched as their eyes turned predatory as they spotted me and saw who I was. And then I saw those mouths of theirs turn into ugly sneers and smirks as they began to speak.

"Well lookie here. Seems like the monster took a wrong turn."

"Nah, it did it on purpose. It obviously wants a beating."

"We should indulge the demon then and give it the pain it so wants."

I stood there, like a deer caught in the headlights of the truck that was about to run it over and effectively end its life. I could faintly hear Kyuubi screaming at me to run but my legs wouldn't move. It was those words. Those words, calling me 'monster', 'demon', and 'it', that caused the pain that would never leave me long after they were gone were what had my feet stuck in the light layer of new white snow that covered the dark black asphalt underneath. All I could do was watch those men with their smirks and sneers and predatory eyes approach me, knives at the ready.

As soon as I was in striking distance they pounced – punching, stabbing, kicking whatever they could get at. And I did nothing to stop them. My mouth opened to scream as they painfully dragged their knives through my skin, shredding my clothes and the coat in the process. But no sound came out of my mouth to prove that I was in agonizing pain that Kyuubi, who was focusing on minimizing the bleeding from the knife wounds, could not numb. After a few more stabs and a blow to the head they let me crumple to the ground in a bloody heap. They each spat on me and left, content with their work.

As I laid there in the white snow that was slowly being tainted red by my blood, I felt Kyuubi's panic as he struggled to stop the bleeding. I was slowly bleeding out from wounds too much for Kyuubi to handle. I was going to die. I should have been panicked or worried, hell even frightened…but I wasn't. Something was soothing me. What was it? A smell. The smell of lilies and water. Weird that the scent of a vampire that I had barely seen and had only said one sentence to me could be soothing me as I lay dying.

'How strange,' I thought as my vision darkened from the blood loss. 'I think I wanted to see him again.'

Like some cruel joke, the last image my eyes sent to my brain as my heartbeat slowed even more was that of two crimson eyes staring at me with concern. And then there was nothing but black.

'Guess I got to see those eyes one last time. Maybe I'll see them again in hell.'

I felt a piercing pain and then…nothing.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

I jumped from rooftop to rooftop trying to calm down. I was frustrated and confused, something so rare and foreign for me. The storm in my mind matched the one brewing above my head. I didn't know what to fucking do and it aggravated the hell out of me.

-/-/-Flashback-/-/-

I had been pacing in my room when Sasuke had come in. I had seen his face go from impassive to worried immediately after he had noticed I was pacing. Me pacing meant I was agitated and that usually meant I was unfed or had just had to deal with either Orochimaru or Madara.

"You're agitated." He stated simply. "I thought you fed."

"I did." It was true. I had fed.

"Then why the pacing?" He asked with an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I can't get him out of my damn head," I growled with frustration. Images of the blonde kept showing up in front of my mind's eye and that plea from him kept haunting my hearing.

"Who?" I guess I was both lucky and cursed to have a brother who was brave enough to ask me questions while I was in this state.

"The one I fed from!" Oh god! What was this feeling? My bloodlust was sated and yet I still hungered.

"You're in love, aniki." Sasuke stated it like a fact with no hint of self-doubt in his voice. "You've found your koi (2), your kataho."

The look on my face must have been one of disbelief and shock for when Sasuke spoke next his voice was nothing but serious.

"I know you probably don't believe me but what I say is true. I know that because it was the same way with me. I fed from him and left only to be plagued by the memories. It didn't stop until I had marked him and taken him back with me. Tell me, aniki, did the blood of the one you fed from last night call out to you above all others? Did it make you do something rash to obtain it? Was just the taste and feel of his blood so exquisite that you wanted to suck him dry?"

All I could do was nod, the word 'yes' not being able to form on my tounge.

"Then that has confirmed what I said is true. What you do about this is entirely up to you aniki." With that he had left my room probably to go back to his kataho. I had left only a minute later.

-/-/-end flashback-/-/-

So here I was jumping over rooftops trying to decide what to do. My body wanted to go and mark the boy before one of the other vampires in my territory decided to take a bite. My mind was still trying to process everything that Sasuke had said. Those words he said – koi, kataho – held so much power to beings like us and he had used them as if he was saying the simplest truth in the world and I was the only one who didn't know. I felt like an idiot and not at all like the cool, collected vampire lord I usually was.

As I was jumping to another roof, my nose picked up a scent that I recognized. It was the blonde from yesterday. I paused on the rooftop, unable to decide on what I should do about the blonde while he was close. Then his scent grew stronger and more metallic. And then my sensitive ears picked up a sound like a scream but it was unusual and distorted. My mind put all the information my sense gathered into a single thought.

'Someone is attacking him, making him bleed in agony.'

I followed that scent as fast as I could. I wasn't thinking, couldn't think. All I knew was that I had to go save him from whatever was hurting him.

I turned into an alleyway and felt like I wanted to vomit at the sight before my eyes. There in the fresh snow lay the bleeding and battered body of the blonde. His blood was pouring out, staining the shreds of what were his clothes and the white snow beneath him a dark crimson. A simple tan bag lay at his feet unharmed and unstained unlike its owner. And there barely noticeable amid this gory scene was the strained rising and falling of his chest.

I was suddenly at his side, checking his wounds. Something was trying to heal these wounds that should have killed him long before I got here, but the blood loss from the numerous wounds was making the healing futile. I felt like I needed to help, to make sure this boy lived but what could I do?

It didn't stop until I had marked him…

Sasuke's words flashed through my mind. Of course, the mark! A vampire's mark sped up a human's ability to produce blood and healed their wounds faster to prevent the vampire from draining then dry while feeding. Essentially the mark could be used to prevent the blonde from bleeding out and help whatever was healing his wounds.

As I bent over, determined to use the mark to save him I looked at his face and found two azure eyes looking back at me. I couldn't help but look at them. Then I saw them dim and heard his heartbeat slow. I acted quickly finding the juncture where his neck and shoulder met and bit down. His body flinched slightly as I injected the marking serum into his body and then went eerily still. I drew back as soon as I could, doubt surfacing in my mind that I had acted too late. But then the sound of even breathing and a steady heartbeat reached my ears. I sighed in relief before I started checking his wounds.

I was shocked to find them all already half-healed and had stopped bleeding. Even if I had marked him he shouldn't be healing this fast. I carefully picked him up, slinging the bag that had been at his feet over my shoulder. I jumped back to the rooftops determined to get him home before the blizzard hit with all of nature's fury.

While I was practically flying over the rooftops I realized that a calm had descended over me, something I hadn't felt for hundreds of years. Had the blonde in my arms done this it me? It seemed strange that this human could do this to me even though he was unconscious after being on the brink of death. Well, until I was absolutely sure if this blonde was my kataho, my koi, he wouldn't be leaving my side.

K.I.L.L.I.N.G.L.O.N.E.L.I.N.E.S.S.W.O.R.D.S.H.O.L.D.P.O.W.E.R.-E.N.D.-

A/N:

(1) a non-folding paper fan

Ruki: So how did you like it? I didn't like the flashback part. It kinda came out rushed and it wasn't very good in my opinion. Well hopefully Twi and Shadows won't be out of it next chapter so it will come out better. Review people! It's what keeps me wanting to write.

CONTEST: The first person to correctly guess who Sasuke is paired up with gets a oneshot written by me with the yaoi pairing of their choice. Leave your answer in your review but hurry because the answer will be revealed next chapter!

Shadows: ugh…and due to popular demand Possession will be updated before Loyalties…once we recover enough to write it…

Twi: and find time to write it with all the homework we keep getting…damn IB classes…

Ruki: Well…until next time….zzzzzz


	3. Chapter ii: A Dream Breeds Curiosity

Title: Killing Loneliness

**Title:** Killing Loneliness

**Pairings:** ItaNaru SasuSai

**Warnings:** Let's see…we have yaoi and vampires and blood play oh my! Plus some probable OOCness…it just happens okay…oh and some swearing, yep definitely swearing. And cutting though it is very minimal.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto nor do I claim to own them. So please draw some more yaoi fanservice Kishimoto. That one SasuSai panel was not enough.

**A/N:**

Shadows: So yeah it was Sai. Congrats to Broken Sexed Up Bloody Kitten. Please leave your chosen yaoi pairing in a review plus any specifics you want and I'll get working on that oneshot for you.

Twi: I can't believe the first person who guessed got it….and why did everyone else think it was Neji???

Ruki: It's because they're weird… (mutters off to the side) I can't believe one of the idiots won…

Twi: oh….okay

Ruki: Oh and for all the idiots who asked me what kataho meant…it was under the IMPORTANT READ FIRST thingie last chapter in the opening author's note…

Shadows: Wow…she's actually pissed for once.

Twi: She just doesn't like idiots.

Shadows: Well anyways on with the story!

ACCTUALLY IMPORTANT READ FIRST: The first section is very confusing to read…unless you're me of course. Since none of you are me, however, these are how things work for the dream sequence:

"Voices talking"

Subconscious talking

'_Naruto talking'_

"Outside voice talking"Chapter II

**A Dream Breeds Curiosity**

This world, this world is cold But you don't, you don't have to go

_You're feeling sad you're feeling lonely_

_And no one seems to care…_

_Hold on…if you feel like letting go_

_Hold on…it gets better than you know_

_Hold on, by Good Charlotte_

I was running.

No, I was chasing.

Yes I was chasing after that man again. That man whose face I had never seen in any of my previous dreams. Always that back in that red-and-white cloak with the sprawling black kanji I could never read. Always that mop of golden hair, the same shade as mine, visible above the high collar of the cloak.

"Matte!" I yelled at the man. I saw him turn his head slightly. "Matte! Tou-san!"

Then I felt like I was sinking, sinking into a suffocating pit of darkness. The man I had called father wasn't there anymore. Then the voices started. Oh God, not the voices.

"Father?! You demon, you have no father!"

"Yes you are the spawn of a whore and the devil!"

He left you to suffer…he left you to be hated…

"You're a monster! You have no soul, no heart!"

"Why don't you die?! We don't want you alive!"

He left you in a city of people who want to kill you…

"You must be punished! The monster must be punished!"

'Why…?'

"You will never be loved."

'Didn't you love me tou-san? I remember your voice telling me you loved me. Was it a lie?'

"What we say is the truth."

He left you…'No…no don't say it…no…'

"He hated you. No one could love a demon as a son."

_He left you__** all alone…**_

'_nonono…not alone…please not alone!'_

"**Shhh…It's okay. I'm here. You're not alone."**

I wasn't sinking anymore. In fact it felt like I was floating, floating up toward that voice. It was soothing unlike the others. I wanted to find the source of that voice. As I broke the surface and felt myself waking up, I smelt the scent of lilies and water and felt the distinctive feeling of a hand upon my forehead.

I slowly opened my eyes to find those red eyes of the vampire staring into mine. It was his cool hand against my forehead in a comforting gesture and that soothing scent of his surrounding me. This vampire, considered a demon whose sole purpose was to murder to sustain his life, hadn't killed me though he had the opportunity to, hadn't looked at me with hate or said those wounding words. He was here by my side comforting me though he had no reason to.

Then all too soon he was pulling back. No, I didn't want to be alone! I didn't care that I should be fearful of him, that I should want him to leave. I just didn't want to be alone anymore. I reached my hand out and grabbed the bottom of his shirt. He paused, looking at my hand on his shirt, then he returned his gaze back on me.

"I'm just going to get you some food. I'll be back in a few minutes."

I reluctantly let go, not wanting him to leave but somehow knowing that he would come back. My eyes never left him as he left the room, quietly closing the wooden double doors behind him. I sat up slowly taking in my surroundings. I was lying on one side of a huge bed, its crimson wood headboard set against a wine-colored wall. On the other side of the room was probably a large window but it was covered by black floor-length drapes. Did this mean that vampires really couldn't go out into sunlight?

To my right were two separate doors that probably led to a closet and a bathroom. To the left were the double doors the vampire had left through. The room was huge but if felt empty. There was plenty of furniture – a pair of dressers set against the walls, a black leather couch, two matching armchairs, and a coffee table set up near the probable window. Sure it had the look of a room for some rich person but it was empty. It was devoid of anything personal. It was just a room that would always be exactly that – a room. Not a haven for a weary soul or stressed mind, but a room that was merely used for necessity.

I noticed my tan, well-worn bag on the nightstand next to me. I reached into it, my hand feeling old leather stretched flat over a stiff rectangle. I gently pulled the old tome out of my bag and was glad to see it was still intact. Deciding to make use of the time to myself the vampire had given me, I cracked open the book to the page with the previously mentioned vampire's portrait. If this vampire and the one in the book were the same than I had some emergency studying to do. At least I would know his name.

Uchiha Itachi

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

As much as I wanted to deny it Sasuke had been right. There was no doubt in my mind that this boy was to be my koi, my kataho. The moment I had brought him home marked, I had felt it. This was his home now as would any future home I might have be his as well. He belonged next to me for eternity, an antidote for the loneliness I no longer felt when I was with him. I could only hope that he'd be willing to stay with me.

Well I'd have to wait until he woke up. Hopefully he wouldn't run away as soon as he could. I would let him go though. It was his choice and I would not force him to stay. Of course if he left it would mean that I would be eternally lonely since we only get one kataho and one chance to bind them to us. I had seen vampires who had lost their chance. It was not a pretty sight.

A moan came from the bed next to me. I watched the blonde as he tousled in the sheets. He seemed to be having a nightmare and, though my heart ached to help him, I knew it was not a good idea to wake him. Nightmares must be faced or they will haunt you waking mind. Besides I knew he needed sleep no matter how fitful it was. His injuries had healed visibly, but I didn't want to risk his health when I did not know what had caused the extraordinary healing he had already had.

"matte tou-san…matte" he mumbled in his sleep. He reached his hand out as if to grab something before he curled into himself. "Why…love…tou-san…voice…loved me…lie…"

I moved closer to the blonde trying to hear the mumbled words coming out of his mouth. It sparked some curiosity within me that wanted to know why his father was involved in his nightmare.

"no…words…no…nonono…not alone…please not alone…" His voice became more desperate. He was writhing in the sheets, now flat on his back. I couldn't stop myself from placing my hand on the boy's forehead.

"Shhh…It's okay. I'm here. You're not alone." The words that I spoke surprised even me. The last time I had ever comforted someone was Sasuke when we had first been turned and had watched the rest of our clan be slaughtered.

I watched as he relaxed into the touch and started to wake up. His eyelids fluttered open and I was staring into eyes so blue they made sapphires look like common stones. However there was a dullness to those eyes which I immediately recognized. Most called them the eyes of the dead, for they belonged to the walking corpses that were the people who had given up on life but couldn't die. They lacked the gleam of life in their eyes and it was highly noticeable to my kind. Why were his eyes like that?

I drew back thinking I should go talk to Sasuke about my kataho and give the blonde some time to think. His hand grasping my shirt in a surprisingly tight grip stopped me in my motions. I saw the fearful look in his eyes and, for some reason, I knew he was afraid not of me, but of me leaving him and not coming back.

"I'm just going to get you some food. I'll be back in a few minutes." It was a good excuse for me to leave his side. He would need to eat and upon closer observation he was too thin to be healthy for his body type. He reluctantly let go and watched as I backed out of the room and closed the double doors behind me.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Sasuke's number. He picked up after the first ring.

"Yes, aniki?" he asked in a bored tone.

"Are you home?"

"Yes," he answered like a teenager whose parents had called to check on him to make sure he wasn't holding a house party while they were out of town.

"I need to talk to you. Meet me at the kitchens." My voice remained calm and neutral.

"Okay." He was back to bored now.

"…Sasuke?"

"Yes?"

"What does you kataho eat when it's cold?"

A few moments of silence passed then "You brought home already Itachi! I honestly thought you'd be your usually stubborn assed self and ignore my advice. So have you marked him ye-"

"Answer the question." I interrupted his rant.

"oh…uh…miso ramen would probably be best. So where are you hiding him aniki?" his tone was mischievous and I knew that if I didn't prevent him, he would soon be searching the mansion for him.

"Kitchens, then I'll talk."

I shut my phone cursing the inquisitive brother I had that also happened to be my current source of knowledge. It took me only a few minutes to navigate the maze of corridors and stairs that made up the multi-level mansion that I lived in to find the kitchens. I hardly ever came here since I didn't have to rely on solid food to survive. However the kataho and marked humans of the other vampires living here meant that it was fully stocked and staffed by a live in chef.

I gave my order of miso ramen and tea to the chef then waited for my outoto to come. He arrived a few seconds later with a smug smirk on his face. He was gloating and I knew in his mind he was imagining me praising his genius just because he had been right – once.

"So you brought your kataho home."

"Hn."

"Marked or unmarked?"

"Marked. I had no choice."

"Huh? No choice?" The smug look turned into one of confusion.

"He was dying. I used the mark to save his life." My voice was monotone. It needed to be.

"How?"

"He was bleeding out from multiple stab wounds. The mark increases blood production and heals wounds faster. He also seems to have some other form of accelerated healing that is all his own." Even to me my words seemed robotic and cold as if I had only saved him because he seemed like an interesting subject for experimentation.

A brief silence and then…

"He was lucky you were there." Sasuke was a blessing.

"Hn." A brief smile tugged at my lips.

A few more moments of dead silence passed as I thought over my next words but it was Sasuke who spoke next.

"What else?" I was really starting to question if Sasuke was psychic or not.

"He is terrified of being alone and…" I hesitated.

"And…?"

"He has the eyes of the dead."

Sasuke looked shocked before his face turned contemplative.

"I wonder what could have caused that…" he mumbled.

"He kept talking about his father in his sleep." I suggested.

"I think a visit to the town's record hall is in order. What is his name?"

"……."

"You don't know, do you?"

"Ramen's done!" yelled the chef before setting the tray with its bowl of ramen and cup of tea on the counter nearest to me. I grabbed it before heading back to my room. I heard Sasuke sigh as he followed behind me.

"Guess I'll just have to ask him myself."

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I didn't get much of a chance to read about the vampire. Only a minute after I had opened the book the door had opened to reveal someone I had never seen before.

"Yo Itachi! Have you seen Sas-?" The ebony-haired boy stopped talking when his onyx eyes spotted me. A plastic smile graced his lips. "Well you're not Itachi."

I didn't say anything as the boy made his way over to the bed. His face unnerved me. It wasn't ugly or misshapen; in fact it was the opposite. It was just that that plastic smile he had plastered on that pale, perfect face was the fakest smile I had ever seen.

"I wonder what you're doing in Itachi's room," the boy continued to talk as if he were talking to a lost pet. "He's never let anyone share his bed before. I was starting to believe he was asexual or something."

I grew more nervous as he came closer. I wanted to scream or yell for help but I knew I couldn't. Besides, who would come to save me?

"Still I didn't think he would sleep with a guy that looks like he doesn't have a dick."

I could physically feel that comment hit a nerve. I stood up to bring my face level with his, the black sheets that had been covering me pooling on the bed and at my feet.

"Why you-"

"Oh so you do have a penis." The boy's eyes were not on my face but considerably lower. I followed his line of sight down to find that I had actually been naked under the sheets. I felt a massive blush take over my face and I 'eeped' before wrapping a sheet around me quickly, leaving only my head exposed.

"So who are you blondie?" The teem asked with that annoying fake smile still plastered on his face.

"My name is…" I hesitated before I realized that whatever pain I would be given would be more if I lied, "Uzumaki Naruto."

I waited for the hateful words or even physical harm to come. Surely he would recognize my name even if he had not recognized my face.

They never came.

Instead he had smiled and started to introduce himself. "Well I'm – "

"Sai!" shouted a voice from the door. "There you are. We're going out to the city so go get ready."

"Okay Sasu-koi." I saw Sai give a genuine smile to the shorter raven-haired man that stood in the doorway, his eyes full of love and adoration. In turn the raven had returned the love-filled smile with one of his one before turning and leaving, Sai quickly following behind him.

Once the two had left I noticed the other raven in the doorway. It was the vampire and in his hands was a tray with what appeared to be a bowl of soup on it. I don't know why but I felt relieved that he had come back, that he had simply done what he said he would. My knees started to feel weak when his crimson eyes suddenly locked with mine and I let myself fall back to sit on the bed.

I watched as he gracefully strode toward me and placed the tray gently on my lap, though he did not let go of it until I firmly gripped it myself. He fluidly sat down in the wooden chair that had placed by the bed, the same one he had probably been occupying earlier while I was asleep. His eye never left me and I couldn't stop looking at him either. I hadn't had a chance to truly look at him until now. Long raven hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, yet smaller pieces rebelled from the restraintment and beautifully framed his pale face. Not only his face but also the rest of the skin that covered his strong, feline frame was unnaturally pale, not hindering his looks but perfecting them. There was the slightest hint of color on the lips that I knew were hiding the fangs that distinguished him as a vampire – a monster – and not as a human. Yet his most striking feature were the bright crimson orbs that served as his eyes.

"Eat." His voice broke the silence, startling me from my observations. "It's not poisoned if that is what you are worried about…or would like something else to eat?"

I tore my eyes away from him to look at the tray that rested on my lap. On it was a bowl of what appeared to be miso ramen and a large mug of green tea.

"Oh, no, it's fine," I picked the chopsticks up off the tray and prepared to dig in. "Itadakimasu."

I ate slowly, too uncomfortable to up the pace while feeling his eyes on me. It must have bored him to watch me eat and I felt his eyes start to stray to either side of me. Just as I had finished drinking the broth from the bowl and was reaching for the tea, his hand snaked out and grabbed the book that had been lying on the bed next to me.

"That's –!"

"Shisui's book. I had always wondered where it had ended up." He seemed to murmur to himself, his eyes becoming distant. I had reached out and tried to snatch the book out of his hands, compelled by some unknown reason. A sharp pain suddenly flared at the junction of my neck and my left shoulder. I fell back on the bed and curled into a ball, clutching the pained spot with my right hand. I heard the clatter of the tray on the floor and the breaking of ceramic but it seemed a thousand miles away. The pain I was feeling overwhelmed all my senses to the point that all I could sense was the pain.

A cool hand descended on the pain-filled spot and gently nudged my hand out of the way. As soon as it touched the spot, the pain ceased to exist. I let my body uncurl itself and eventually turn myself onto my back. I felt utterly drained and exhausted, too weary to even open my eyes. The demanding pull of sleep tugged on me with more strength than I could resist but I did not want to return to those voices that I knew awaited me in my nightmares.

"Sleep," the voice of the vampire continued gently. "Your body needs its rest. I'll still be here when you wake up."

Soothed by those words I let sleep over take me. For the first time in years my dreams weren't haunted by the voices.

K.I.L.L.I.N.G.L.O.N.E.L.I.N.E.S.S.A.D.R.E.A.M.B.R.E.E.D.S.C.U.R.I.O.S.I.T.Y.-E.N.D-

A/N:

Shadows: Is it just me or does Naruto tend to be asleep most of the time in our fics?

Ruki: It's just you…(goes to hunt annoying people)

Twi: Ok….oh and a last-minute announcement!

ANNOUNCEMENT:

All stories on hiatus for the month of November as I will be participating in NaNoWriMo and will not have time to write anything else. Hopefully when I get back though, I'll have a 50,000-word Bleach fanfic to post. I'm thinking about doing a GrimmUlqui/GrimmIchiUlqui. So yeah everything on hiatus. Oh, and it's the one-year anniversary of Akatsuki Randomness which was first posted under the title Akatsuki Halloween. That means its been one year since I first posted anything that anybody actually reviewed. I feel so accomplished…

Read and Review people! I know you wanna press that review button, dontcha?


	4. Chapter iii: A Life of Soundless Screams

**Title:** Killing Loneliness

**Pairings:** ItaNaru SasuSai

**Warnings:** Let's see…we have yaoi and vampires and blood play oh my! Plus some probable OOCness…it just happens okay…oh and some swearing, yep definitely swearing. And cutting though it is very minimal.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto nor do I claim to own them. So please draw some more yaoi fanservice Kishimoto. That one SasuSai panel was not enough.

**A/N:**

Shadows: Ya I know it's not December yet and I should be working on NaNoWriMo but……I just really love ya guys?

Twi: What she means that there is no way for her to write the remaining 45000 words that she needs by November 30th.

Shadows: (flails) Don't tell them that!!

Twi: Well at least you got a good story idea out of it.

Shadows: True…Hey where's Ruki?

Twi: Off in her corner sulking about how little Jasper was in Twilight and how he seemed really off.

Ruki: I do not sulk.

Shadows & Twi: …

Ruki: okay maybe a little….but anyways I gotta move on and start cranking out the stories. By the way Broken Sexed Up Bloody Kitten do you want your oneshot AU or in universe? And lemon or no?

Twi: (whispers) she didn't mean that comment about being an idiot last update. That's just how she is.

Shadows: Anyways, we got a great chapter ahead, a little short but you start to find out things in Naruto's past and some Sasuke theorizing. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter III

**A Life of Soundless Screams**

_In the dark, in the darkness you will find_

_Dirty little secrets we all hide._

_Cause we all have a darker side_

_A place we keep, where no one else can find_

_Cuz everybody wants to hide their secrets away_

_Nobody wants to stand up to the pain_

_But I will stand up to the pain_

_Secrets, by Good Charlotte_

"Sai!" I called out to my kataho. I searched the darkness for his pale smiling face.

"Yes, Sasu-koi?" I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard his voice behind me. Sai was one of the few people in the world that who could sneak up on me.

"Have you found anything yet?" I turned to look at him.

"Hai," he handed me three bulky manila folders. "Turns out his last mane is actually Namikaze; Uzumaki is his mother's maiden name. I also found some interesting newspaper articles from around the time of his birth and when he turned four."

"That explains one of these folders but what about the other two?" I eyed the folders with suspicion.

"They're his parents' files. Mother is deceased. Father is missing and presumed dead."

"An orphan then?" I murmured out loud.

"It would appear so but I don't believe his father is dead." I looked at him curiously. How could Sai know about the blonde's father? "Look at picture in the father's file. You'll see what I mean."

I opened the father's file not even bothering to check the name on it. I actually gasped in shock when I saw the picture. I looked closely at the date of his disappearance, memorized it, and closed the file. I quickly opened Naruto's file and started scanning its entire contents. By the time I had finished I had come to one conclusion – I needed to talk to Itachi and show him what I found, the sooner the better.

"We'll make a quick stop at his house to see if we can find anything else and then we'll head home." My voice was confident but I couldn't stop myself from shaking from all the terrible things I had just learned. Sai noticed this and pulled me into his arms. I relaxed instantly. "We need to get this information to Itachi as soon as we can."

Sai nodded and released me but kept one of his hands holding one of mine. I was thankful of the comforting gesture that served as a lifeline for me while I tried to sort most of the more difficult to digest information to the back of my conscious mind to be dealt with at a later time.

We left the record hall like that, the files stashed in a durable army-green backpack slung over Sai's shoulder. I wondered how he could stand straight with such a heavy burden.

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I watched the blonde sleep from my spot next to the bed, my hand still placed over his mark. It had taken awhile to appear and it seemed to have caused him great pain, which confused me. Normally the mark should have appeared within an hour of receiving the bite and it shouldn't have caused any pain as great as that.

I took my hand away from the mark briefly to study it. All marks are different, each one including aspects of both the human and the vampire involved. His mark consisted of my can's symbol, the red-and-white uchiwa, surrounded by nine black tamas. I knew the uchiwa was my aspect so the tamas had to be his aspect. But how were they related to him?

I replaced my hand over the mark and my eyes drifted across his shoulder and down his arm to finally stop at his wrist. The pale lines of self-inflicted scars confused me just like they had when I had seen him inflicting the wounds on himself. My eyes left his wrist to move to his sleeping face and examined the whisker-like marks on his cheeks. They weren't scars because they were black lines not silvery. They were most likely birthmarks since they didn't have that unnatural look that comes with tattoos. My eyes drifted back to his wrist as I waited for him to wake up.

I didn't have to wait long.

His arm started to move slowly away from my stare, but I stopped it from moving with a firm grip of my hand. My eyes didn't move from the scars.

"Why?" Such a simple question yet it could be the hardest to answer. I looked up at his face, staring into those dead eyes. I asked the question again. "Why?"

"It's how I scream." Those dead eyes stared back at me with the same blankness as his voice. "It's how I show them the agony I feel."

I remained silent as I tried to comprehend his words. He made it sound like he couldn't scream but I could have sworn that I heard him scream that night he had been attacked…but it _had_ sounded unusual. And most of the scars were faded by the passage of time meaning that the attack the other night hadn't been the first. I felt anger rising in me at the thought of him being hurt so many times.

The soft click of the door being opened broke the silent tension that had gathered. Sasuke's somber face appeared as the door opened, soon joined but Sai's face with his customary fake smile, though it seemed even more faked at this moment. The sight of their faces unnerved me. They had discovered something and from their appearance I could only assume that whatever it was it was terrible.

"Itachi," Sasuke's voice was calm as death. "I need to talk to you alone. Sai can keep him company while we talk."

His words left no option to disagree with him. I nodded my consent and stood up. I turned to the blonde and gave what I hoped to be a reassuring look before I walked toward the door.

"Sai, see if you can find something for him to wear. You can show him around the house if he wishes to once he's dressed."

"Hai, Itachi-sama." His smile was cracking slightly showing the sadness that lay underneath. A sinking feeling settled in the bottom of my stomach. They truly had discovered something horrifying.

I quickly left the room, Sasuke following at my heels. I led him through the corridors until we reached my study. I opened the door letting Sasuke go in before me. I followed right after, shutting and locking the door behind me, not wanting this conversation to be overheard. I turned around to find Sasuke sitting in one of the large leather armchairs by the French doors that led out to a second-story balcony. I noted that the blizzard had passed and that the sun was out as I briefly glanced through the clear glass set in the doors before I sat in the chair opposite my outoto. Only a small coffee table occupied the space between us.

"So what did you find out outoto?"

Sasuke pulled out three manila folders along with a plastic accordion-style folder from the black bag he carried with him. I looked curiously from the folders to Sasuke, silently asking him to explain what they were.

"These are the city records on Naruto and his parents along with the medical records we found in a safe in the rotting pile of wood that we discovered was his home." Small flickers of anger and disgust showed in his eyes. "According to records, he was still-born and his mother died giving birth. However we can clearly see that he is alive." I nodded my agreement with that fact. "Somehow a demon possessed the boy's body and he lived. Once the people of the city found out they tried to kill the boy, saying he was a monster that needed to be exterminated while it was weak and helpless. His father was highly respected, however, and he protected his son. Naruto's first four years were peaceful but then, one day his father mysteriously disappeared and a mob of people went after the four-year-old. He was beaten within an inch of his life and then dragged around the city by a rope around his neck that was attached to the back of an old pickup." Sasuke started shaking, whether from rage or sadness I did not know. "He was barely alive when the mob was stopped by his godparents. Most of his injuries healed completely but the damage to his vocal cords was too extensive. He lost the ability to scream."

The blonde's words finally made sense to me. Each of those cuts was a separate scream. It was his way to show the agony contained inside him. The realization made me feel sick.

"Since that day there has been a near infinite amount of physical and mental abuse done to him. He is thought of as a monster and is not even treated as partly human." Sasuke paused. "His father's identity and the time of his disappearance explains what exactly happened…and connects Naruto to Madara."

"How?" I asked trying to keep a growl out of my voice at the mention of Madara's name.

"His father is Minato Namikaze, Madara's newest underling that he turned fifteen years ago, right around the time Minato disappeared as a human. I believe he became Madara's servant in exchange for Madara implanting the Kyuubi into Naruto to save his life."

I leaned back in the chair and sighed. "Damn, today is not a good day."

"Why?" Sasuke asked with a curious face.

"Madara is coming today to leave Minato here so he can be trained to be a lord. We need to hide Naruto from him." I quickly stood up and headed for the door. An evil chill suddenly shot up my spine, making me stop dead in my tracks.

"It's too late. **He's** here." I turned to look at Sasuke. He had curled himself into a ball in the chair. His body was shuddering violently and his eyes were full of terror though his voice remained calm. Madara's presence always did this to him and it could last up to a few days after Madara had left. During that time his last human memories would keep replaying before his eyes. I wished that those memories weren't so horrible. "We just have to trust that Sai will keep Naruto out of **His **sight."

"Yes, outoto, we must." With those words I left my study to go greet the man I hated most in this world.

K.I.L.L.I.N.G.L.O.N.E.L.I.N.E.S.S.A.L.I.F.E.O.F.S.O.U.N.D.L.E.S.S.S.C.R.E.A.M.S.-E.N.D-

A/N:

Shadows: Told ya'll it would be short.

Twi: The next chapter is a lot longer and dare I say some of the best writing Ruki's ever done while not paying attention in class.

Ruki: It's your job to pay attention, my job to write.

Shadows: Anyways until Chapter IV!!! Please R&R! Dontcha just wanna use the new button. I know ya want to.


	5. Chapter iv: Memories That Haunt

**Title:** Killing Loneliness

**Pairings:** ItaNaru SasuSai

**Warnings:** Let's see…we have yaoi and vampires and blood play oh my! Plus some probable OOCness…it just happens okay…oh and some swearing, yep definitely swearing. And cutting though it is very minimal.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto nor do I claim to own them. So please draw some more yaoi fanservice Kishimoto. That one SasuSai panel was not enough.

**A/N:**

Ruki: I can't believe I actually wrote this….damn.

Shadows: Damn is right.

Twi: (shakes head) We can't believe we wrote Akatsuki Randomness but you guys don't act like this.

Shadows: That's because it's so damn good.

Ruki: (nods)

Twi: Well, anyways enjoy the chapter that Ruki considers her best work at this point in time.

Chapter IV

**Memories That Haunt**

_I dreamed I was missing_

_You were so scared_

_But no one would listen_

'_Cause no one else cared_

_After my dreaming_

_I woke with this fear_

_What am I leaving_

_When I'm done here?_

_So if you're asking me_

_I want you to know_

_When my time comes_

_Forget the wrong that I've done_

_Help me leave behind some_

_Reasons to be missed_

_And don't resent me_

_And when you're feeling empty_

_Keep me in your memory_

_Leave out all the rest, leave out all the rest_

_Leave Out All The Rest, by Linkin Park_

The blizzard had passed and had left everything covered in pure white snow that glistened in the sunlight. It looked so beautiful and clean. And yet it would melt and be tainted by the dirt and mud that lay underneath it. Could this situation I was in be the same as the snow outside the window? It wouldn't surprise me if it were. The kindness I had received from the vampire could just be hiding a hateful and bloodthirsty nature. This could all just be a trick.

My hand reached up and rubbed the mark that was now partially hidden by the black oversized shirt Sai had found for me to wear, along with a pair of black lounge pants. I continued to stare out the floor-to-ceiling windows I had discovered behind the drapes from one of the armchairs set near them. Sai sat across from me in the matching armchair, that obviously fake smile still plastered on his face.

"Sai…" It was too quiet and Kyuubi had hidden himself somewhere in the recesses of my mind.

"Yes?" I could hear that damned smile of his in his voice.

"Are you a vampire too?" My eyes flickered to his face briefly before returning to the window.

"No, I'm Sasuke's kataho."

"Kataho?" I shot him a curious look.

"A vampire's kataho is the one person a vampire is fated to love," Sai explained. "At least that is the definition. A kataho is much more than that, though. A kataho is a vampire's other half; they in fact complete the vampire. They also have the power to destroy a vampire." Sai's voice grew sad and I was shocked by the real emotion I heard. "If a kataho refuses the vampire's eternal bond, the vampire will lose his heart and all that is left is a quick descent into madness followed by a mercy kill from one of the vampire lords. But even if they do become eternally bonded they can still destroy the vampire. The hearts are connected and if one dies so does the other."

"But a human has such a short lifespan in comparison with the vampire." I pointed out. "Making that bond would give the vampire a certain death sentence."

I saw Sai shake his head no. "When the bond is made the human gains the vampire's lifespan. They basically become a human with an eternal lifespan. Many gain some vampiric powers as well to help protect themselves. Also the connection between the two alerts the vampire when his kataho is in danger and believe me, hardly anything can stop a vampire from protecting his kataho."

Sai fell silent after that. I simply continued to stare out the window. The perfect, undisturbed show was calming to me. Yet, the snow was no longer undisturbed. Two blobs were walking through the snow towards the mansion. I stood up and pressed myself against the window trying to see what the two blobs were. They became two humanoid figures as they swiftly walked through the knee-high layer of snow. The figure in front became a raven-haired man who looked to be only in his thirties. His hair was made up of long, ebony spikes that seemed to be under gravity's strain and fell limply to rest on the man's shoulders and back. His face was almost as pale white as the snow.

"Does Itachi have an older brother?"

I felt Sai come to stand next to me so he could see what I was looking at through the window. He might've answered my question but I didn't hear him. All I could do was focus on the second figure. He had shoulder-length blonde, spiky hair that framed his tan face. Sitting in that face were two crystal-blue eyes that I saw everyday in the mirror. It was the man I was always chasing in my dreams, the man I hadn't seen in fifteen years.

"Tou-san…" It was barely a whisper but that word felt so strange coming from my mouth; like it was someone else who said it. Soon my father and the other man had neared the mansion, and my father looked up, suddenly staring straight up at me. A look of shock passed his face and he stopped dead in his tracks. My heart panged with a feeling of rejection, and I wanted to move away from the window but my legs wouldn't let me. His face suddenly softened and a relieved smile appeared bringing a feeling of warmth to my heart. Tou-san was happy to see me!

The man with my father must have called his name for his head suddenly turned to look at him. He resumed walking toward the mansion but as he turned his head slightly to look back at me I could see fear in his eyes. That man with Tou-san was dangerous. Now that the raven-haired man was closer I could feel his unmistakably evil aura engulfing the mansion, making chills run down my spine. But I knew deep in my heart that I would risk coming in contact with that man if I could finally see my father again.

"Sai, I need you to take me to see that blonde-haired man," I turned to him preparing to beg if he refused. "I have to talk to him. Besides Itachi told you to show me around, didn't he?"

Sai thought for a minute, clearly debating the situation in his head, before giving me his answer. "Okay, but you'll have to do exactly as I say. The man he is with, Madara, is not someone Itachi-sama would want you to come in close proximity to."

I nodded and followed him out of the room. I had to talk to Tou-san no matter what happened, even if I did run into that man named Madara. I had to stop the memory of him leaving me from haunting my dreams.

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The memory of those October days would always haunt me. And I no longer had the easy escape of death to get rid of them anymore. This was the life I had chosen and I could not regret the choices I had made. If I hadn't made those choices, _he _would have never lived. _He _would never have known the joy of life. _He _would have never left a mark on this world.

_He _would have never truly existed.

Fragments of that first October day invaded my mind's eye. The remembered smell of harsh antiseptic and coppery-metallic blood blending together recreated itself as if I were actually smelling it. The bright, blinding lights focused on one point, crowded by doctors and nurses. The deafening silence of the monitor rose above the murmurs of the medical personnel. The head doctor turned to me with sorrow clearly evident in his eyes. I felt my heart dying. But hadn't it just died a few minutes ago when another one of these doctors, these_ healers_, had pronounced Kushina dead?

"I'm sorry sir." His voice was so cold, cold as the feeling of death that seemed to permeate this room. "Your son was stillborn. We tried everything we could to make him live but it's been too long."

I wanted to cry, to outwardly mourn for my only son who had been denied the breath of life. But all my tears had been used to mourn Kushina. There were none left.

I walked over to the unmoving newborn, all the medical personnel leaving the room except for a solitary nurse. The newborn's skin was so pale, not flushed red with life like it should be. The deafening silence of the room pushed my mind to its breaking point. As the nurse briefly left the room I reached my hand out to gently caress the tiny, cold face before me. As my fingers touched the cold skin, the room froze – literally, not figuratively, literally. The humming of the lights stopped abruptly as did the nurse who was walking back into the room. A chill crept up my spine and my eyes looked up to find cold crimson ones.

"Do you want him to live?"

A simple question. A simple answer.

"Yes."

"I can make him live but you have to agree with my terms."

"Yes, do it." Did I truly believe this strange man was real and could bring my son to life? No. Did I want to believe him? Yes, with all that was left of my dead heart and my sanity.

"You haven't heard my terms yet and you're already agreeing?" I could feel the man's cold smirk without even seeing it.

"Yes. I don't care what I have to do as long as he gets to live." It was true; I didn't care. All that mattered was that he lived.

"Fine, I'll take that as you agreeing and bring this one to life."

The man's mouth twisted into a terrifying thing that I assumed was supposed to be a smile. He pulled out a fiery red-orange orb from the depths of the shadowy fabric that cloaked his body from my sight. It floated over his palm, and I briefly thought I saw a glimpse of a fox in it before it shot out of his hand and delved into my son's body, through the skin of his stomach. A strange seal appeared on his small belly around the remains of the umbilical cord that would eventually become his navel. His skin started to gain color, spreading from the seal. And then…he started **breathing.**

"You are my servant for the next one-hundred years or until the fox demon comes out of you son. However I'll let you spend the first four years with him since I am not _that _evil." He disappeared as if he had never been there.

The room unfroze and the previously silent monitor started beeping. That was a wonderful noise. The scream from the nurse was not. It was shrill and unpleasant and made my son cry.

"It has the mark of a demon! A demon had possessed its corpse! It should be dead!" The woman screamed out causing the doctors and nurses who had left the room before to return.

I stood in front of my son defensively. Now that he had finally been given a chance to live I would not let these people, these so called 'angels' in medical garb, take it away.

"He is not possessed! He is not and 'it'!"

"It is a curse for it to be alive! A curse!"

"It is not a curse! It is a blessing! He is alive! Naruto is alive! That's all that matters!" It was true. That was all that mattered.

The nurses dragged their coworker out of the room and one of the doctors quickly checked Naruto over, shockingly deeming him perfectly healthy. As I later held him in my arms Tsunade and Jiraiya came in bearing a newspaper that said my son was a demon. They were outraged and worried. I was not. I knew the truth. He was not a demon. The demon had just given him the opportunity to live. I had four years with him and I would make them count.

"Minato," that all-too-familiar and cold voice brought me out of my memory. "It's time to go."

I followed without question, without hesitation. This 'man' had made clear long ago that he held Naruto's life in his hands and I would do anything to protect Naruto from Madara's wrath. Soon we were walking through newly fallen snow and I lost myself again in the memory of another October day.

"It appears you are not a coward," the man stated icily, yet it also held a tone of pleasured surprise. "All for the best though, because if you had decided not to come I would've killed the boy."

I made no comment. I just stood there, head bowed submissively under his aura. I had chosen this fate long ago and I would take all the consequences that came with that choice, no matter what they were.

"It's time for you to become my servant." I flinched. He had suddenly appeared next to me, his mouth hovering over my neck. "You will make a good slave. You will always obey the orders of Uchiha Madara or your son will die a very premature and painful death."

Sharp fangs tore through the skin of my neck and into my jugular vein. I felt my blood being drained from my veins and my heart slowed with each gulp he took. As soon as I thought he was going to take all my blood and kill me, a new liquid started to fill my veins. It burned.

IT **BURNED!!!**

I collapsed on the floor, writhing in agony. I was consumed by the pain that flowed through my veins. I wanted it to stop. I wanted it to end.

I wanted to die.

Madara dragged me to the open window and grabbed my head to force me to look outside. If I hadn't wanted to die from the pain I was experiencing, I would've wanted to die at the sight I saw before my eyes.

"Look at what this pain had bought you," His grip in my hair tightened, forcing me to keep looking at the sight of my son being tortured by a mob of people in the streets below. "You've bought your son this life. He will always be treated like a demon, like a monster. He will go through life alone and unloved. He will live in misery and you are the one to blame for it. It would have been better if he had never lived, don't you think?"

I never answered that question. I spent my last day as a human watching my son being tortured while I burned.

My mind came back to the present as we neared Itachi's mansion. For some reason I had an urge to look up at the windows on the higher floors of the massive building. I stopped dead in my tracks. There in a third-story window was Naruto. I hadn't seen him since my last day as a human but there was no doubt in my mind that the blond-haired youth was my son. I let my face relax, from the shocked expression I was unknowingly wearing, into a soft smile. I saw a smile start to form in return on Naruto's face when that icy voice sounded in my ear again.

"Minato, why are you dawdling?"

I started walking again. I couldn't let Madara know that Naruto was here. His sadistic nature would probably lead to things better left unthought of. When I was sure Madara wasn't looking I glanced back at Naruto out of the corner of my eye. I would have to talk to him once Madara was gone.

We finally entered the mansion through the large oak doors that served as the main entranceway. Itachi was there in the foyer waiting for us, Sasuke once again absent. I had only seen the younger Uchiha brother when Madara had sent me here alone, which had been a rare occurrence. Whether Madara cared about the constant absence of Sasuke or not was never visible in either his body language or his voice. He just acted like there was absolutely nothing wrong.

"Why hello there Itachi-kun." That sick smile of his appeared on Madara's face.

"Hn." Great. He was already at grunts. Itachi was definitely not in the right state for dealing with Madara today.

"Well I've brought Minato here to begin his training," he nodded toward me. "While I'm here though, why don't we talk some? It's been a while since we've last talked in person."

Itachi nodded. "We can talk in my study." His gaze moved to me and I thought I saw a curious gleam in his eyes. "Minato, you can wait in that room over there while we talk. Your room isn't ready yet and I would like to show you around the mansion personally."

I bowed my head in thanks and dismissal, before I went to the room Itachi indicated. It was a grandiose sitting room, furnished with opulently upholstered chairs, intricately carved wooden tables, and French doors unable to open to the outside world due to the thick layer of snow that came a quarter of the way up the door in height. Surprisingly the fireplace with its clay hearth and marble mantle was lit. Was it to make sure Naruto would be warm in any room he was in? Or was it for Sasuke's katahō?

A click and a whoosh disturbed me from my thoughts about the fire. The noise had not come from the door opening or a window. I turned to find a bookcase I had not spared a glance at had moved, revealing a secret passage. And standing in that passage, beside a raven-haired male I recognized as Sasuke's katahō, was Naruto.

"Naruto…" His name escaped my lips.

"Tou-san…"

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Burning. Nothing but burning. No, there were screams. Screams from who? The people of my clan? No, they were dead. They were all **dead. **Was it their souls screaming? Oh, god the **burning. **Why hadn't I died yet? Something was still screaming. What was it? My throat is hurting. It's burning like everything else but it _feels_ so **raw. **Oh god, I'm screaming. **I'M SCREAMING!**

"IT BURNS! IT **BURNS! **MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT FUCKING STOP! ANIKI! HELP ME!"

A new pain in my head. My hair twisted in an iron grasp.

"There is no point in screaming for your brother Sasuke." An icy voice, but there was no relief from the burning. "Open your eyes. He's in as much pain as you are."

Vision returned to my eyes. Itachi writhing in agony on the floor, the spilt blood of our parents surrounding him. The world went dark again and my screams became whimpers.

"Poor weak little Sasuke, you'll never be more than a sniveling babe. Males your age are supposed to be hunters and warriors yet you were nothing but a defenseless child who couldn't protect your clan. Their ghosts must be watching you with disgust and disappointment. But I'm saving you from their wrath. I'm making you into a monster that won't die and you'll have an eternity to repent."

I'm screaming again and there the memory faded.

"Damn you Madara," I said through gritted teeth. "I'll repent by killing you. Even if it kills me as well."

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"I only do this for you because you are one of the Ten, Madara." I wanted this demon gone. Every second he was here was another opportunity for him to find Naruto. "I know you are using him to spy on Sasuke and I."

"Still as sharp as ever I see." Deviousness flickered in his blood red eyes. They darted around the study searching for something. "Is Sasuke going to join us? I was _so _looking forward to seeing him. It's been at least a century since I talked to him last."

My body tensed with anger. How **dare** he ask about Sasuke so casually. "You know damn well he's not going to join us."

"Such language Itachi," a smirk graced his demonic visage. "Didn't your parents teach you to not use such language in front of your elders?"

I was going to snap. I was going to snap and attack this 'man'…and I would do it with pleasure. But I had others that came before my selfish need to kill Madara. It was a terrible shame that killing one of the Ten was an extremely large taboo.

"Get the **FUCK OUT!**" I yelled. I never yell. I could feel the snap coming. "I'll teach your fucking spy for you, but I'll be damned before I let you insult my parent's memory!"

That damn smirk stayed on his face but he was soon walking out of my study. As the door was closing behind him I heard him say one last thing.

"Silly boy, you're already damned."

The door closed and a second later something glass shattered against it. It was all I could do to relieve the tension I felt from not being able to snap.

K.I.L.L.I.N.G.L.O.N.E.L.I.N.E.S.S.M.E.M.O.R.I.E.S.T.H.A.T.H.A.U.N.T-E.N.D-

A/n:

Ruki: Well Minato and Madara have both entered the plot. Each will play pivotal parts in the chapters to come. This chapter also stressed the themes I have tried to incorporate into the story. The first is what defines a monster and are the people who call others monsters and evil in fact the monsters. The other one is how the best of intentions and sacrifices can turn ugly as evidenced by Minato's sacrifice which gave Naruto a life most would rather die than have.

Shadows: Madara was purposefully portrayed as a coldhearted bastard in this fic though I really do like him in the Naruto manga. Madara (in this fic) has a unique way in which he unleashes his sadistic nature. He either breaks the person's mind or takes advantage of someone when their mind is at it's weakest. The effects are usually long lasting and he delights in the mental anguish of his victims and any physical pain they do encounter.

Twi: In conclusion this chapter is immensely important and pivotal to the plot of this story. We hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review. You know you wanna!

Next – Where Itachi screws up majorly and I take lots of creative liberty with an only-mentioned and never seen Naruto character. And when I mean lots I mean I'm pretty much just using the name and that's it.


	6. Chapter v: A Jerk or a Protector?

**Title:** Killing Loneliness

**Pairings:** ItaNaru SasuSai

**Warnings:** Let's see…we have yaoi and vampires and blood play oh my! Plus some probable OOCness…it just happens okay…oh and some swearing, yep definitely swearing. And cutting though it is very minimal.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto nor do I claim to own them. So please draw some more yaoi fanservice Kishimoto. That one SasuSai panel was not enough.

**A/N:**

Well Hello there! ^-^ It's certainly been a while hasn't it? I mean it's been nearly two years since I updated this last…and I may have forgotten the plot….but it's all okay because I found the chapter I had written before I totally abandoned the plot in my head! (smacked in the back of the head) okay okay I know I totally just like epic-failed on this but it seems to be in my nature. Besides I've been distracted with school, bleach fanfics on an alternate account, jrock band fanfics on livejournal, a graphics community on livejournal as well, and a couple of original fiction novels. Frankly it's a lot on my plate. I'm honestly only posting this now because a) I just found it and b)I finally found some empty time to type it up. So anyways I'm going to reread my own story and try to get the plot reformulated in my head. Believe me when I say I wish I hadn't chosen to be so vague on certain elements like the Ten(seriously I forgot what that was about but I know it was important to the plot x.x) so anyways if you guys are still reading this thing and wish for it to reach it's conclusion throw me some ideas! Also do not expect fast updates! My life is still really really hectic! (I'm hardly able to do anything right now x.x)

**A Jerk or a Protector?**

I don't want be who I was back then

I almost lost you again

I don't wanna see through the eyes of a liar

Hold the door for me again

Armor for Sleep – "Hold the Door"

I felt my body move before my mind could catch up to it. The physical need to touch Naruto, to make sure he was actually there was greater than the need to let my mind reboot from the shock of seeing him in the same room as me. I was stopped in this unconscious movement by seeing Sasuke's kataho move into a defensive position in front of Naruto.

"Sai, what are you doing?" Naruto's voice was soft, barely above a whisper as if just talking made him weary. His face showed his confusion at Sai's actions. I myself was confused.

"He's a young vampire, Naruto, only fifteen years old." Sai's eyes were glaring, his usual fake smile missing from his mouth. "His control over his bloodlust is so weak he wouldn't hesitate to drain even a marked human."

I was about to retort, say that I would never, could never attack my own son when Naruto spoke again.

"He's my father Sai. He could never hurt me especially if he doesn't want to hurt me." He stepped around Sai and closed the gap between us. "Right tou-san?"

I couldn't help myself. I pulled him into the tightest embrace I could without hurting him.

"Yes Naruto, I could never hurt you, especially now that I can be near you without drawing Madara's attention." I could hear my voice vrack every few syllables but I ignored it, just like the blood-red tears that rolled down my face.

"Minato, let go of him." I hadn't sensed that Itachi had entered the room. I had been too focused on finally holding my son for the first time since he was four. I reluctantly let go of Naruto and turned toward Itachi. My head bowed submissively.

"Didn't Madara teach you to not approach a marked person without the marking vampire's permission?" I didn't want to answer. He knew I knew that. There was no other way he would have agreed to training me. I hung my head lower.

"Yes he did, but –" I was interrupted by Naruto.

"What's wrong with him approaching me?" His voice was clear and loud, in sharp contrast to his voice just minutes ago. "He's my – "

"Father. Yes, I know. But I do not trust this man." His voice was cutting and glacial. An air of definitiveness clung to his words, truly making them commands of a vampire lord. "I will not let him touch that which is mine."

"So I'm property now, am I…?" The murmur was soft but it was said with such sadness that I wished to comfort him and with such anger that I wanted to back away from the coming violent out lash. "I am NOT your damn property nor will I even let you consider me as such! I'm used to being treated like crap, like a demon and a monster. Then you decide to save me on some stupid whim of yours and suddenly I'm below a demon, I'm fucking property! I'd rather be the monster they call me. At least I have my own goddamn will!"

I then saw something I had never imagined I would see. I saw my son punch Itachi square in the face, an amazing feat in itself due to their height differences, and storm out of the room while towing me along in my stunned stupor. I certainly had a shocking son.

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I was an idiot. And it had taken someone punching me in the face to realize it.

I stood there clutching my face where he had hit me probably showing a look of shock on my face. I couldn't help it. I had never expected him to hit me. I felt Sai's eyes on me but I ignored him. I was too lost in my thoughts.

Why did I have to be so insensitive? He has no real knowledge of the situation or vampiric customs and I should have realized that. He didn't know that he was supposed to be my kataho or that a marked human brought out possessive natures in vampires. I had only been trying to protect him from a relatively new and inexperienced vampire trying to drain him, father or not. I cursed words and the power they held. They were deceptive things helping you soothe one minute and anger the next.

I felt horrible and disgusted with myself. I wanted to crawl out of my skin and hide somewhere where no one would find me. With my mind in its self-loathing haze I all but fled through the mansion to my room where I locked myself in with no intention of coming out until I was no longer insensitive to the one I wished to love.

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"Your brother's an insensitive jerk."

I curiously lifted my head out of the ball I was in. I hated the after effects of Madara's presence.

"You realize you are stating the main Uchiha personality trait, right Sai?"

"Yes I do Sasu, but he was being that way to Naruto," I saw the ghost of emotions struggle to appear on his face. Over three hundred years and he still can't express himself well. "I think it wasn't on purpose but it was apparently enough to make Naruto extremely…angry at him. I do believe the emotion you have when you punch someone in the face is anger, right?"

I shot up out of the corner I had crawled into. "You're telling me the blonde punched aniki in the face?"

Sai nodded and proceeded to tell me what had occurred downstairs. I was shocked both by how Itachi's possessive words had been misconstrued by the blonde and by the fact that Itachi had been punched, in the face no less. I decided that I would have to be the one to talk to both of them. Luckily the shuddering had stopped as well as the instinctual reflex to curl up into a defensive ball.

"Sai, make sure Itachi stays where he is and doesn't do anything rash," I started to head out of my room. I paused for a second. "Actually just make sure he doesn't do anything until I get to him."

"Hai, Sasu-koi."

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That bastard. That fucking bastard! I was not his damn property! So what if he saved my life? It's not like I had a life worth saving. He probably just wanted to make sure he didn't lose his meal ticket. Oh I should have done more than sock him in his face.

"_I will not let him touch that which is mine."_

Ugh! The more I thought of his words the angrier I felt.

'_Kit, he did not mean what you think he meant.'_

'Kyu…? You've been quiet a lot…'

'_I was kinda busy healing your wounds,'_ there was an annoyed tone to his voice. _'But the vampire does not think of you as property.'_

'So what did the bastard mean?'

'_He was being protective and also very possessive. But then could you blame him? You are his kataho after all.'_

"I'm his what?"

"Naruto?" My father stopped us from moving further down the maze of hallways. He looked at me curiously and I realized I had shouted my last sentence out loud. "Are you okay?"

"Sorry tou-san," I felt the need to apologize for some reason. "I was talking to Kyuubi and something he said startled me."

"It's okay." He gave that warm, comforting smile of his. "You calmed down now?"

I suddenly realized that my anger had dissipated but there was still a pang of hurt in my heart. The pang was there from how cold his words had been when before they had been so gentle, so soothing. "Yeah, I'm calm. I don't feel like punching him anymore."

"That's good news for my brother's face then." My head spun from how fast I had turned it to find Sasuke walking toward us. I wondered why he was talking to me. I had only seen him once and we had never been properly introduced, having found out each other's names from Sai. "I apologize if he offended you, but that truly was not what he intended."

"I know. I guess I'm his katahou, so he was just being instinctually possessive."

"Did Sai tell you that?" Sasuke's eyes flickered with curiosity.

"No." I shook my head. Sasuke's eyes moved to my father and I saw him shake his head as well indicating that he had not told me as well. I saw Sasuke's brow furrow in confusion.

"Then how did you know?"

"I…I…It-it was…" I wanted to disappear, to run. I didn't want to tell him about Kyuubi. I didn't want to be rejected by these vampires. For if even real monsters considered me a greater evil than themselves than I was truly not a human being but something demonic that deserved to be sent to hell with all traces of its existence destroyed.

"Was it the Kyuubi?"

My eyes widened at his words and I knew I had begun to quake in fear. My instinctual urge to run was screaming at me. Memories of fifteen years ago started flashing in my mind resisting my mental will that was trying to banish them away from my conscious thoughts. I started backing away slowly from Sasuke.

"I…I-I'm n-not…I'm not a demon…I'm just...I'M **NOT** KYUUBI!" I turned, about to run, to escape. But I was stopped by a figure that had appeared in front of me. I felt strong arms holding me in place but with a gentility I had not expected.

"You are not Kyuubi. You are simply you and that is all that matters."

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I really needed to make sure that before I intended to lock myself in my room alone again that no one was in the room with me.

"Hey Itachi, where'd you find my book?"

There, on my bed, was my cousin Shisui. He wasn't the last person I wanted to see right now – Madara would always beat him there – but he was pretty damn close. He had always been able to read my moods and always knew what was wrong with me.

"Wow, you look like shit…" He had finally really looked at me and now that he knew that something was wrong with me I felt his eyes closely examining me. "Did you piss off your intended katahou?"

I could feel my eyes go wide with his statement. How did he know? If he knew then who else did?

"Woah, I was right?" His look was one of shock. Then it turned into one of concern. "Oh crap, please tell me he didn't reject you because I am not killing your ass even if it is the merciful thing to do."

I shook my head. "No, I haven't even told him what he is to me. He knows nothing of vampiric customs either."

"I'm guessing his lack of knowledge about our customs is what caused him to be pissed at you, and making you hate yourself."

"Yes," I hung my head. "I said that I did not want a particular vampire to touch what is mine and he took it as me thinking of him as property."

"Well," Shisui sighed. "You always have been socially inept. You should really explain this to him you know. It's probably for the best anyway if you explain the situation to him."

"You're right. I should –" I stopped midsentence. I could feel a huge wave of fear coming from nearby. It was Naruto. My body instinctually reacted to his fear and I was rushing down hallways even as I heard him yell.

" – I'M **NOT** KYUUBI!"

And then he was in my arms, my arms that were holding him safe, protecting him. And words were suddenly escaping my lips and I knew in my heart that they were the truest words I had ever said.

"You are not Kyuubi. You are simply you and that is all that matters."

Those crystal-blue eyes looked up at me and I steeled myself for the pain of seeing dead, dull eyes in the one I wished to have at my side. But the dullness was gone and I was blinded by all the raw emotion that was contained in those brilliant sapphire eyes. There was relief and hope and above all a will to live, to go through life not as a zombie but with spontaneity and happiness. The unexpected warmth from those eyes filled me to the brim until it overflowed into a warm, gentle smile that I could not hide and I found myself glad I had not hidden it for it was returned with an equally warm smile from the blonde in my arms.

"Oh. My. God. It's fucking Armageddon. Itachi is actually smiling. He's actually fucking smiling!" I **really** wanted to kill my cousin at that second for ruining the damn moment, even if he was one of the Ten. That was until I felt a small chuckle against my chest. He was laughing and the sound of it was beautiful to my ears.

"Is it really that strange for him to smile?" Naruto asked curiously with a joking undertone.

"Let's just say it's not been seen for centuries," Sai had appeared behind Sasuke and now everyone was here. The once cavernous hallway now seemed narrow and small. "We've seen smirks but not unforced smiles like that."

"It's not like we see many real smilesThen maybe you should give me more reason to be smiling like that more often," Sai retorted back with innuendo and seduction dripping from his words.

"Maybe I want those smiles all to myself," Sasuke picked a possessive grip on Sai's barely clothed hips and started to bring their faces close together to begin an intense makeout session that would eventually result in them writhing and moaning all over the other, while naked on the nearest flat surface they could find.

Shisui interrupted them, clearing his throat to get their attention. "As much as I would like to watch the two of you fucking like rabbits in the hallway I believe the others would find it in appropriate right now, so if you two wish to continue than I suggest you two **get a room.**"

The pair was there on second and in a blink of an eye they were gone from our sight and the loud slam of a door closing in a nearby hallway reverberated throughout the mansion. It took us all a minute for our brains to process what had just happened. It was Shisui who spoke first.

"I sooo did not expect them to actually get a room."All of our heads turned to look at him. "Those two are like constantly horny."

I actually thought about that last comment of his and found it to be disturbingly true. I didn't know if it was due to them both having their bodies' ages stopped while sexual hormones were coursing through their veins or not but they were the horniest couple I had ever known. This train of thought was turning disturbing so I turned my attention back to the present.

"Well why don't I show you your room?" I directed my polite question towards Minato. "And then I can show both you and Naruto around the house?"

It took a few moments for everyone to let the words sink in But the pleased look that found its place on Naruto's face was worth the delay.

"Yes, I would like that," came Minato's reply complete with a small smile that told me that he had forgiven my actions earlier.

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It turned out that the room Sasuke and Sai had chosen to use was supposed to be my father's so Itachi decided to give him a different one. He later gave me my own room that was near both his and my father's though I think I wouldn't have minded staying in Itachi's room. He gave us a tour of the mansion and I wondered how anyone managed to not get lost.

It wasn't until later that I noticed that the strange man that had told Sasuke and Sai to get a room had disappeared. When I did I told Itachi and asked who he was.

"That was my cousin Shisui," he told me with a grimace. "He tends to show up unexpectedly and leaves the same way."

I pondered the name, thinking I had heard it before. But the memory never let itself be found, so I set it aside for me to consider later. My hand was placed in Itachi's and my father was finally with me again. For the first time in a long time I felt…happy.

But for some reason I knew it wouldn't last. Until then however, I would enjoy this happiness as long as I could. I had learned long ago to focus on nothing but the present.

K.I.L.L.I.N.G.L.O.N.E.L.I.N.E.S.S.A.J.E.R.K.O.R.A.P.R.O.T.E.C.T.O.R.-E.N.D-

A/N: So I've only got a page of written material for the next chapter. I'll try to rediscover the plot but no promises. This well be updated at random and long intervals so please don't expect much. I'm trying my hardest not to just abandon the story. Any requests for back stories or further character/relationship development may actually be filled. Remember leave a good review and you will definitely get a reply! ^^


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